Landmines made by Isis undo progress made by Princess Diana campaign

New mine clearance methods trialled as rising use of homemade devices in Middle East and beyond triggers fresh concern

The international campaign against landmines championed by the late Princess Diana has been driven into sharp reverse by the growing use of homemade devices in countries like Syria and Iraq.

Mine clearance groups are testing experimental mechanical systems to deal with the issue after Stan Brown, the US state department’s leading authority on landmine clearance, warned that a new generation of improvised explosives are more labour intensive, costly and complex to remove.